The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Escape of
by demigodfirepilot
Summary: Five years after the Prisoner's Dilema, things are finally starting to quiet down for the Society.  That is untill they are dragged into the stuggle against Ledthropa Curtain again. With the stakes at their highest, will the society stand a chance?
1. Deadly Sprints and Other Secret Dangers

_Authors Note: This fanfic takes place four years after The prisoner's dilemma. In every story there are multiple sides to a character. I tried to pursue some of the lesser seen sides to certain characters. Wish me luck- this is my first fanfic. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I Do NOT own anything of the Mysterious Benedict Society__. (Although I wish I did!)_

**Of Deadly Sprints and Other Secret Dangers**

Reynie's breath came in short bursts, ragged and heavy. Kate jogged in place next to him. "Come on, Slowpoke! Let's go," She smiled. Up ahead, Milligan stopped to look back. He raised a questioning eyebrow, to which Kate responded, " We'll catch up with you!" Reynie looked with wonder at Kate- she seemed invincible. After running for over four miles straight, his lungs felt like bursting. Yet she barely looked fazed. Reynie took a deep breath. For two years now, Kate and Milligan had been on his case about shaping up. Sticky and Connie-girl had the right idea, Reynie thought, they thought I was nuts for agreeing to this. Kate shoved him forward, "Here we go!" she laughed. He sighed and fell back into the rhythm of pounding feet and struggling for air.

As they eventually neared the old House again, Reynie breathed a sigh of relief. The house meant an end to this torture, and a refreshing, ice cold shower. His footsteps slowed gradually, but Kate kept sprinting. Fondly, he watched her run up to the gate and effortlessly leap over it. Smiling still, He counted the years on his fingers. He was 16 now, so that was one, two, three, four years now, since the society had first come together. Four years since he first saw Kate vault herself over the nearest fence, with her long blonde hair flowing from the hastily tied ponytail. Four years since he'd first met Constance, cranky, stubborn, and full of bad poetry. And even Four years since he'd heard Sticky begin to sort though his encyclopedia brain, and recite the entire history of everything. Reynie smiled thinking of his best friends, and sprinted after Kate, ignoring his aches.

Kate and Milligan were already on the front steps when he got there, but Reynie didn't mind. They would have the door open and he could get out of the august heat that much faster. Milligan reached out and ruffled Reynie's sweat drenched hair, like he was a little kid. "Nice job Reynie. You beat your record!" Reynie smiled sheepishly at Milligan. It felt like being congratulated by the father he'd never had. Kate smiled too. "Race you to the kitchen!" She challenged. Reynie just groaned, summoning a round of chuckles from Milligan. "No pie until AFTER dinner Katie cat," Milligan teased. But Kate was already off running, with Reynie chasing after her.

Upstairs, everything seemed normal. Sticky and Mr. Benedict were having a heated debate about something or other, and Number two was chasing Constance with a towel. The seven year old poet had chocolate smeared across her face, and mud up to her knees. But what else was new? Kate fled into the kitchen to greet Mucho, but Reynie hung back. Part of him wanted to sit on the couch and pass out for a few days. His legs throbbed and his knees felt weak. His heart was still running, even though he'd stopped almost five minutes ago. He raised an arm to wipe the sweat off of his brow, and caught a whiff of his own B.O. Constance wrinkled her nose in disgust as she passed. " Reynie smells like dirty socks, Pencilla moves as slow as an ox, but I rather be caught by Number two, for if I have to Smell HIM again-I don't know what I'd do!" Reynie blushed red as Sticky and Mr. Benedict turned to see him. Sticky grinned at him, " I see you didn't asphyxiate!" Sticky was lucky that Reynie's vocabulary was decent, other wise he might have taken the compliment poorly. "No, I didn't choke," Reynie grinned back, " I beat my record too!"

"I might choke if you don't move soon!" Constance called from the stairwell. Number two's face was crimson with irritation and exhaustion. She sighed angrily and took off in the direction of Connie-girl's voice, muttering about how much trouble Constance was in if she EVER touched her chocolate again. Mr. Benedict shook his head, chuckling to himself. This was quite a dysfunctional family they had- but at least they had each other.

A dark shadow passed across his mind as he recalled the news story from the afternoon. He hadn't even told Milligan yet, considering that it was probably nothing. Still… Mr. Benedict pushed the thought aside, deciding to resolve it later- no need to trouble the kids. Everything was finally starting to calm down, and become normal again( whatever normal was anyway). Reynie interrupted his thoughts.

" Guess I'd better go wash up," he shrugged. "yeah! Before your stink makes me barf into a cup!" Constance yelled. Footsteps thundered on the stairs as Number Two and Constance raced back and forth in an epic battle of cat and mouse. Reynie winced at the poetic slap in the face, and headed towards the stairs. Sticky shrugged and turned back to Mr. Benedict.

"So as I was saying, Mr. Benedict, you really should contact the newspaper courier. The afternoon paper has not shown up yet, and it is nearly seven o'clock. That surely is a mistake." Mr. Benedict sighed inwardly, and feigned agreement with his companion. Truth be told, the paper had in fact come on time. But He couldn't let the children see until he and Milligan had determined the threat level of the Front Page article.

Where was Milligan any way? Determined to find out, Mr. Benedict agreed to call the courier, and took his leave of Sticky. "Oh, and Sticky," he called as he left, " Make sure you and the others remain inside tonight. I have a surprise." Sticky nodded, confused, but trusting Mr. Benedict's word. Mr. Benedict turned and descended the stairs to the Wetherall apartment. Secretly, he hoped that Sticky hadn't seen his concern through the mask of normality that he wore. Secretly, he had a gut feeling that their perfect little family was about to come crashing down. But he needed to confer with Milligan first.


	2. Missing News and Missing People

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own the MBS._

_Author's note: __This is where the story begins to take a darker turn. Any constructive criticism is welcome!_

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* * *

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**Of Missing News and Missing People**

Sticky dragged his feet down the hallway and into the kitchen. Without his daily dose of newspaper, how could he keep in touch with the current events? Kate was always so energetic and enthusiastic- maybe she could share some of her good mood with him. And that is how Sticky ended up pushing into the kitchen, only to be slapped in the face with a slice of pie. "What the…?" Sticky yelled as he stumbled backwards. Kate rushed forward, concern in her eyes as she hurried to check that he was ok.

"Sorry! We were…" Kate had caught sight of Sticky as he smeared banana cream filling off of his new spectacles. There was nothing she could do but grasp at her sides as she fell to the floor laughing hysterically. Her bucket crashed loudly against the wood, and rolled away. "Sticky, you… you" she gasped before bursting into another round of hooting. Personally, Sticky didn't see what was quite so funny. Although he couldn't help but admit that the banana cream filling was delicious. Mucho Brazo stuck his head out through the doorway sheepishly and peered around. From beneath the thick handlebar moustache Sticky could see the former strongman grinning. Mucho outstretched his hand to Sticky and helped him up. "You shouldn't have walked in on our pie filling fight unannounced!" Mucho chuckled.

"How was I supposed to know?" Much to his embarrassment, Sticky's voice still squeaked slightly as he whined. Kate finally staggered to her feet, sides still heaving from laughter.

"How's the pie, Sticky?" She teased. Sticky glared back at her.

"Fine," He announced, "but it could use some pie crust." He cracked a slight grin as he began to polish his glasses.

Mucho nodded his head in agreement. "I was set to make the crust, when little miss circus here decided to barge in," Mucho shot Kate a playful frown, " Here, you take her. Keep her out of MY kitchen!" Kate feigned shock as Mucho shut the door in their faces. She jogged down the hall to grab her bucket. After a quick inspection, she turned back to Sticky. He gulped nervously as Kate eyed him.

"So, what did you want any way, Sticky?"

* * *

Milligan looked from the paper to Mr. Benedict, and back again. A shadow had fallen over his face again, and his eyes darkened as he skimmed through the article. "You're sure?" his voice was strained. The vein in Milligan's neck was popped out and he gripped the paper with white knuckles. Something that shouldn't have happened-ever- had just made his nightmares into a reality. Mr. Benedict watched Milligan with concern. It had been a long time since he'd seen his friend look this distraught. Inside, he felt the same horror and shock, he only covered it slightly better.

"I do not know for certain. I have tried to contact some people, no one has answered me. I don't like it, but I also worry about everything. You're the expert," Mr. Benedict said somberly. Milligan took a deep breath. He was tense, like any second he might be forced to fight. "Call down Rhonda and Number Two. We need to talk with them."

Mr. Benedict nodded carefully. "What are you thinking of?"

Kate jokingly punched Sticky's arm. "Ow!"

"Really? That couldn't have hurt!"

"And if it did?"

"Then you are more of a wimp than I thought…"

"Hey! I am not a wimp!"

"… And I can't believe that you thought the Paper didn't come! Mr. Benedict had it. He was in the kitchen just before we left for our run. I asked to see it- he said to just give him a second to flip though…" Sticky's face became a mask of confusion. Didn't Mr. Benedict just said that the paper had not come?

"…Any way, I got tired of waiting. Forgot about it until now. Why are you so upset about it any way?" Kate stood with her hands on her hips staring at Sticky. His eyebrows were scrunched up, and he fiddled with his spectacles. Would Mr. Benedict lie, to him? Why? By now he was sure that Mr. Benedict had been withholding the news, but… Her deep sapphire eyes seemed to penetrate into his mind, thought Sticky nervously. Kate stood there for a moment trying to decipher what was wrong with her friend. But after only a moment of failure, she turned and headed for the stairs.

"Come on!" She called behind her, "Where is Mr. Benedict any way?"

Sticky shrugged hopelessly and followed Kate up the staircase

* * *

Number Two shuddered as she scanned the Front page article. "No," she whispered under her breathe, "he can't…" Mr. Benedict watched miserably as two of his daughters read the article. A wave of sadness washed over him as he remembered the struggles…

Rhonda leapt forward, barely catching Mr. Benedict before he cracked his head onto the table. A soft snort erupted from her adopted father's lips as his face contorted in the unnatural sleep. It broke her heart to see him like this- oppressed by a cureless narcolepsy. He looked so sad, and disappointed, she thought as she and Number two gently laid him on the couch.

He jolted upright, staring around wild eyed as he roused from his sleep. "It's ok, Mr. B. Only a few minutes there," Milligan comforted. Mr. Benedict shook his head shamefully.

"Thank you," he sighed, "Shall we go, before I doze off again?"

"They will be okay, Milligan?" Rhonda questioned. He saw the anxiety in her eyes. As worried as he was, they needed him to be the strong, confident leader.

"Think about who these kids are" he joked, "They'll be more than fine. But I'll ask a friend to keep an eye on the house. You go say bye."

* * *

" Reynie, Reynie Go away,

Don't come back another day!

I'm tired of hearing about 'wonderful' school,

'cause school is for fools, and fools are uncool,

just like icky Sticky!"

Kate recognized that obnoxious sing-song voice, and turned left into the library. Her Bucket had rattled the whole way up the stairs as it bounced against her hip. For the first time, she seriously considered Reynie's idea to add straps so that it could be carried as a backpack.

Constance stood pouting at Reynie across Mr. Benedict's desk. Considering the lack of muddy footprints on the chair, Constance had been captured and forcibly cleaned up by Number Two. Maybe that's why she was pouting? Her gaze turned to Reynie. His hair was wet and shadowing his eyes. His face was furrowed as he returned Connie-girl's stare.

"I wasn't saying anything about school being wonderful! I only stated that you were going to a private school this year!"

Kate stood back a few steps and watched, mildly amused. She was careful not to step on any of Mr. Benedict's books. He kept stacks of them, piled randomly around the house. But in his library, it was even worse. The desk, the shelves, the chairs- everything was one mass of literature. Sticky scrambled up the stairs after Kate, wondering why on earth he had asked for her help in the first place. He tripped on the last step, and went tumbling into a stack of encyclopedias. Reynie jumped and whipped around to face his friends.

"Hey!" Kate smiled. She reached down and pulled Sticky back to his feet.

" Do you know where Mr. Benedict is?" Sticky questioned as he readjusted his glasses.

"Last I saw, he was with you," Reynie answered, "By the way, can you ask him to give me the newspaper when he's done with it? It was in his front pocket."

Sticky assumed a look of confusion and worry again. How had everyone else seen the paper, and yet he'd remained oblivious? Or was this one of Mr. Benedict's mind games?

Constance hopped off of the chair, still glowering at Reynie.

"Probably off to re-read that article," She grumbled.

"What do you mean Connie-girl?"

"First off, Kate, MY NAME ISN"T CONNIE-GIRL! Secondly, it's got to be a pretty interesting article today, cause Mr. B's brain is blocked off- I can't tell what he's reading. But he's read it a few times already."

"I thought you agreed NOT to pry into our thoughts like that Con…"

"Sticky's a worry wart!"

Kate had stopped paying attention. Whatever it was, it was worth keeping secret. One article in particular? It couldn't be that hard to get. Part of her knew that it was wrong to pry into Mr. Benedict's things, but you just can't keep a secret from Kate the Great Weather-machine. She hesitated for a moment, and put her bucket on the desk. Then she began racing down the stairs. Reynie watched her go, and then took off after her.

At the bottom of the stairs, Milligan, Rhonda, Number two, and Mr. Benedict were waving good-bye to Miss Perumal and Mucho. Reynie hung back on the landing, watching the proceedings from afar. Kate skidded to a halt in front of Mucho, seriously confused.

"Katie-Cat! There you are!" Milligan's eyes were sad and worried, but he put on a brave face.

"Where are you guys off to? Dinner's almost ready!"

Milligan sighed mournfully, "Eat with out us, one of Mr. B's Friends called up- needs us to check in on him. We'll be back soon." Kate noted that under his breath, he added "…hopefully…". It was obvious that he was lying through his teeth, but the question remained why? She ran up and wrapped him in a bear hug.

"Keep safe Milligan," She whispered

" Safe is my Middle name, Katie-Cat," He smiled back.

Kate looked at him curiously. For a first class spy, his lying was pitifully transparent. Why wasn't he telling her the truth? If it had only been the two of them, she would have demanded the facts. But something in his eyes, in his tone of voice… It was like he wanted her to realize that he was lying, but didn't want her to question it. Kate looked him over once again, her question burning in her eyes. Milligan shook his head sadly, and motioned for her to finish her good-byes. Worry crept into Kate's heart, like it always did when he was leaving. But she knew that it would be impossible to stop him.

Kate quickly ran around hugging the others. Mr. Benedict got an extremely excited hug that nearly knocked him off his feet.

"Ooof, my dear," he chuckled, " We'll see you soon!" Mr. Benedict tried to smile warmly at Kate. He couldn't stand to put these four in any more danger, but… Kate held up Mr. B as Number two rushed over. She took the weight off of Kate's hands and smiled thankfully at her. Mr. Benedict twisted suddenly and awoke.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry," his brow was wrinkled together as though deep in thought, "Thank you." He looked curiously at Kate, knowing what she had done. He opened his mouth to reprimand her but the others turned to leave, and Kate bolted up the flight of steps to the Library.

At the top of the steps, her friends waited for her. Kate pushed past them, and into the library- her mind running through various scenarios. She barely jumped over a few stacks of books, and finally reached the large Mahogany desk. It was plain to see that Kate was preoccupied, but only Reynie knew why. She shook her head and took a calming breath. Kate unfolded a long, delicate piece of paper. Reynie eyed her suspiciously as she laid it out for all to see.

"I present to you, the newspaper that we've all been discussing! Reynie, you were right! He was carrying it in his front pocket!"

"But how? "

"Wait, What?"

"Are you gonna show us or not, Kate?"

Kate shot Constance a dagger stare, did she always have to be a joy kill? She turned to address Reynie's question.

" A bear hug is a pick-pocket's best friend," She smiled mischievously. Reynie looked at her, and shook his head slowly. He should know by now not to be surprised by Kate, but occasionally she did things that he would just rather not know about.

All Four Swarmed around the page, trying to get the best view. Constance hopped up on a chair, struggling to push in front of the others. Reynie took a step back, silently grumbling as Sticky stepped on his toes. Kate peered over Sticky's shoulder, trying to see what she had stolen exactly. The whole situation reminded her of a human pretzel act from the circus- awkward and strenuous. None of them were prepared.

"No…" Constance whispered, "No…" She lurched back a few steps, and off of the chair. Suddenly her head was throbbing. Sticky tumbled to the floor with Constance in his lap. He had turned deathly pale and was nervously polishing his spectacles. He tried to mumble a few words, but only gibberish came out.

Reynie's face was a mixture of shock and anger, as he stood off to the side. Part of him felt the need to fight and be on his guard. The other part was shocked and disbelieving, and… scared. As much as he hated to admit it, after reading that caption, he was terrified. Kate had managed to leap back to avoid Sticky's fall, and had shimmied up to the desk to see better. Her eyes betrayed her shock, but she kept her fear under lock and key. . As worried as she was, they needed her to be the strong, confident leader. Still…

" **Maximum Security Prison break out: Madman Curtain and gang at large"**, the headline read. Which translated to the four petrified kids, " Your life, and those you love have just been placed back in jeopardy!" They read the line again and again, letting the horror sink in.

"Dinner!" Muchco's strong voice rung though out the house, "Come and get it!" This seemingly innocent call seemed so bizarre when placed in their situation. Mucho called again, snapping the society out of their daze.

Reynie looked at the others, still trembling, and tried to clear his voice. Kate is the only one taking this well, he thought, Man up, Reynie! After a short mental pep talk, Reynie found his voice. It was cracked and sounded strangled, but it was all that he could manage under the circumstances. As he spoke, he was furious with himself for letting any panic show. After all, he needed to act like he was the strong, confident, fearless leader…

"We can't let them know that we know," He croaked, "We can't let them know. Act normal for dinner, for now- but afterwards we meet in my room. No later than five minutes after dinner. Official meeting tonight… This calls for an official meeting." In his head, he was shouting. Why hadn't Mr. Benedict told them? Or Milligan? Or…

Sticky nodded quickly at Reynie's proposal. Constance murmured agreement. Kate looked over at Reynie, noting how he looked lost in thought. Like Mr. B looked like, she thought. She folded up the paper quickly and stuffed it in her bucket.

One thought was on all of their minds, as they headed down to dinner: Where was Curtain now?

* * *

Reynie's room was much more orderly that Constance's, where they usually held their impromptu meetings. They could actually see the floor, and there were places to sit other than on top of laundry piles. On any other day, Kate probably would have pointed this out. However, the dire situation wasn't exactly the lighthearted atmosphere needed for a rhyme fight. Reynie had locked the door on their way in, and assigned shifts to check the hallway for eavesdroppers. Reynie, Sticky, and Constance anxiously sat in a circle. Kate's mind was elsewhere as Reynie began to talk. He placed the article in the middle of the open circle.

"Kate, do you intend to sit with us?" Sticky mumbled nervously.

"In a minute," she nodded distantly, "Just a second."

The sun was casting an eerie glow through the curtain as it set. Only a moment ago, a shadow had passed across the window. But what had cast the shadow? She took a few quick steps over to the window, feeling her pulse pound harder. Without wasting a moment's time, Kate flung open the curtain.

Perched on the windowsill was a familiar face.

"Madge!" Kate exclaimed, " Did you break out of the new roost again? I thought I told you that you were supposed to stay inside at night!" She clicked the locks and unfastened the window. Madge took a clumsy step forward and hopped into the room. Only then did Kate notice a little grey body clutched tightly in Madge's talons. It thrashed slightly and Kate let out a little gasp.

"Madge! Let it go! Can't you see that you're hurting it?"

Reynie had leapt to his feet and joined Kate by the window. Sticky and Constance just looked at each other, and turned to watch their friends. Kate was holding Madge with one fist, and a little bird in the other. The little bird squawked as Kate attempted to bandage it's wing.

"There, there little one," she cooed, " it's ok. Reynie, can you hold Madge for a second?"

Reynie reached out and took Hold of the falcon as Kate rummaged through her Bucket. He always had admired the bird, with the strong wings and bright eyes, but she had also always frightened him. Her talons dug into his gloved hand making him wince slightly. She wasn't heavy, but you knew she was there. Madge spread her wings and ruffled her feathers, making Reynie nearly lose his balance. Why had he agreed to hold her?

"Reynie! Keep your hand level!" Kate scolded. Madge looked him in the eye. There was something about the intelligence in those eyes, the cold, pitying stare that this bird gave him, that sent shivers down his spine. He handed Kate back her falcon as soon as he could.

Sticky stood to inspect the new bird, keeping a wary distance of Madge. After all these years, he thought, Reynie and I should be used to her- not still terrified. Constance stifled a snigger as she read his thoughts. Sticky shot her a warning glance.

" Homing pigeon," he whispered as he looked over the little bird. Those two words sent spirals of panic into their hearts. The madman who had recently escaped prison had sent the last homing pigeon, with a ransom note. Coincidence?

Reynie held the leg gently as Sticky pried off the note. The swift cursive handwriting was so well known to them by now that they didn't even require a signature. They already knew the sender.

"_Dear Children,_

_It is my sincerest hope that this report reaches you presently, for I am compelled to inform you of your friends' precarious condition._

_Indeed I feel no need to explain myself this time, as no doubt you already know of my release. You, best of all, should realize that genius cannot remain idle for long. Iron bars cannot confine brilliance. However, they may physically restrain your comrades. _

_Despite your best efforts, children, you cannot out run your past._

_My prisoner, Nicholas Benedict, is in the possession of certain items of interest. Deliver these items to me, namely Benedict's Safe box. Five days from today, I will enact my revenge on my traitorous brother and his allies. If I receive these items, I will consider sparing their lives. If not- oh, for Benedict's sake I hope that you hurry with all due haste._

_Do not attempt any rescue missions this time, children, lest I move up my deadline. _

_Until we meet again, until __Déjà vu__. _

_-L. Curtain"_

Reynie finished reading the Letter, feeling the knot in his stomach tighten. He realized that subconsciously, he had been grinding his teeth as he read. Reynie scanned the faces of his friends. They looked like each word had delivered a physical blow. He felt as horrible and aghast as they looked. Even Kate couldn't conceal it.

"Milligan…"

"Mr. Benedict…"

"Number Two? Rhonda?"

Reynie met their questions and sorrows with an empty, hateful stare. Curtain had taken everything from them, time and time again. Finally, they had gotten their lives together, had a somewhat normal year. No life and death fights, no mysterious riddles. And now, three hours since Benedict and the rest had left, their world had been turned upside down- again. For a long time, he had strived to understand Curtain, to see things the way Mr. Benedict had taught him to- some seed of good in everything. But now, hate, fury, anxiety filled him up. He couldn't rest until he had found them all, comforted his friends, and put Curtain back behind bars. His fury drove him. And then memories of past missions flooded Reynie's mind. Fear and exhaustion overtook him. He flopped on the bed wide eyed.

"No…"


	3. The Rouge Among The Runaways

_Authors Note: Hey guys, Sorry about the time lapse in the story! I didn't have a chance to get this out until now. Thanks for keeping up with me so far! Hope that this next chapter holds up to your expectations. Be prepared for a glimpse at Reynie's darker side… Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!_

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the MBS! However, that would be awesome _

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Reynie grasped at the fringes of his blanket. This couldn't possibly be happening. This wasn't real. But the letter splayed out on the floor said otherwise. No one had taken the news this badly the first time. But now…

Now, they had been hit when they had their guards down. Now, they suddenly had their backs against a wall again. Now, there was no Milligan to protect them. Curtain was supposed to be locked up forever. They were supposed to finally have normal lives. Obviously none of this was going to happen.

Kate glared at the note for minutes on end, mentally willing it to burst into flames. Milligan's name echoed in her mind, followed closely by Curtain's maniacal laugh. It was a sick, demented cackle- a laugh that still tormented her in the darkest dreams. She rocked back on her heels, there had to be something to do! Sitting still was driving her even more insane than her memories.

Sticky barely watched as Kate leaped to her feet and began pacing wildly. More than anything, he felt like crawling under a rock and waiting the whole thing out. But Mr. Benedict needed him to be strong.

"_Why? I can't understand it, but it is almost…envy, perhaps. A feeling of inferiority…"_

"_Oh, and what makes you think so?" Mr. Benedict looked curiously at Sticky._

"_Reynie, and Kate, and Constance always seem always know how to act or where to look, or what to say. I am the walking encyclopedia. A coward at best, and only one who cannot balance his pride and his shyness," He confided quietly. Sticky looked down at his feet, not daring to meet his comrade's eye._

"_But you are very important, Sticky. You are extraordinarily valiant when you try."_

"_Only when I'm desperate, Mr. Benedict."_

"_Every instant is a desperate act, Sticky. Every breath, every second, every thought. Consider that."_

Sticky glanced at the note on the floor again, then at his friends. _Odd how one little piece of paper can be the root of so much heartache,_he pondered. Reynie was lost in thought, Kate was ranting madly, and Constance- Sticky felt his heart drop- looked on the verge of tears. He polished his spectacles nervously. This was desperate- Constance never showed any vulnerability. Or rather, any vulnerability was well disguised by her arrogant, and thoroughly obnoxious rhymes. He took a gulp. Could he do it? Sticky pushed heavily on the floor, hearing it creak beneath his weight, and stood to his feet.

"We need to do something! We aren't about to sit here like idiots and just let him do this, are we? C'mon guys! Reynie, Stickster, Connie-girl, can't we pull something together? I mean this is lunacy, he didn't even tell us where to bring the stuff! Where is the safe box any how?" Kate continued her tirade. Sticky looked at her sadly and opened his mouth to speak.

"No," Reynie interrupted. His voice was rough- deep and whispering. It sent chills up their spines as they felt the fury rolling off of his words. Every breath he took was filled with anger, nervous energy, and desperation. Constance's eyes widened as Reynie's emotions came tumbling out so easily. Normally everyone was so controlled. Curtain had caught them exposed, and it was tearing them apart.

"We're going to get them back, deadline or not," Reynie tried to smile reassuringly. Only a grimace appeared. "You're right Kate, he left out a lot of information." He took a deep calming breath. It was a riddle, he knew it. So similar to Mr. Benedict, and yet the twins couldn't be any more different. The gears turned in Reynie's head as fast as Kate could run. A small portion of his thoughts was dedicated to chastising himself for allowing his emotions to be so plainly read. Reynie quickly built up a mental wall to keep out his Constance's probing thoughts.

Sticky slunk off to the side. They didn't need him right now. Reynie would lead, Kate would act, Constance- well, maybe she could use him. He sidled next to her, disdain written plainly across his face. She didn't even consider mocking him, as all of her energy was focusing on trying to keep up with Reynie's thought process. Sticky sighed to himself, perhaps Mr. Benedict was wrong_._

Kate had stepped up to face Reynie. She had a frantic need to hear his idea. He always knew what to do. As much as she despised admitting it, she couldn't think straight right now.

Reynie had bent down to clutch the memo again. Rereading it sent fear tingling through his body. Anxiety threatened to slow down his thoughts, but frustration kept him rushing. A riddle, he thought furiously, but what is the key? Kate's angry outburst half-formed some bit of an idea.

" He didn't say where to deliver the items," he thought out loud, " So where…"

"Is the pigeon supposed to carry a safe?" Kate mumbled. She couldn't stand knowing that Milligan was somewhere in the world with that… creep, and she was helpless to stop it. _Helpless isn't a word used to describe me, _she thought angrily_, I will find him_.

"Sticky," Reynie said hurriedly, "Reread this. What do you think?"

Sticky's face lit up. They actually needed his opinion. He stood up slowly and calmly made his way over to Reynie. It was taking most of his energy not to polish his glasses. Constance smiled reassuringly and then returned to pouting. Kate looked almost hungry for any fragment of an action plan. Her eager stare was making him sweat. But still he took the letter from Reynie. Reynie sat and assumed a puzzled expression. He shook his head and turned to Sticky.

"Ideas?" Kate prodded.

"Well," Sticky was nervous. How should he tell his friends that he was just as confused and frustrated by Curtain as they were? "Umm…" He had to polish, the urge was far too strong.

Reynie pondered the situation for a moment, turning the facts over and over again. The answer was right in front of him, and yet just out of reach. He sat down for a moment, debating between two possibilities. An idea twisted into shape in Reynie's head. _The wording, _he thought_, that makes all the difference! He directly addresses us, and not the adults. He knows that we will come after him. He wants us to come after them! We were the reason why Curtain was imprisoned. He wants his revenge, and he wants us to watch. Then he said '__Déjà vu'…__"_

"Umm?" Constance interrogated.

_Curtain sticks to his habits. He likes his islands- easy to protect, hard to find, hard to attack stealthily. __Déjà vu..._

"Sticky, what does Déjà vu mean again?"

"How's french gonna help us, Reynie?" Constance asked crossly.

"_Déjà vu-_ the feeling that one has seen or heard something before." Sticky recited automatically.

"Thank you, human dictionary." Constance muttered. Sticky flashed crimson.

"Thanks," Reynie said. He considered for a moment. _He wants us to remember a place. Probably somewhere we've struggled with him before. That's where he is. That's where we go. No, That's where I go._

Reynie looked around the room at his friends. He'd been with them through so much that they weren't friends, really. They were an extremely extended family. And nothing, nothing would happen to them on Reynie's watch. He would do this on his own. There was no way in hell that Reynie could ask them to come along. Not with his plan.

"That's helpful?" Kate wondered aloud. She interrupted Reynie's thoughts. He looked back at his friends mournfully. He hated doing this to them- having to lie, and leave them. But he couldn't…

" I don't know," Sticky admitted. Reynie looked away; he knew.

"He did have friends in the government, Stickster," Kate grumbled, "They could be hiding that rat. "

Constance looked oddly at Reynie. In his moment of doubt, he had opened his mind slightly. She saw partially through the smoke and mirrors. She knew that he had an idea. And he couldn't let her stop him.

"I need to make a few calls," he excused himself quickly.

Constance opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't utter her well worded accusations. Something in Reynie's cold, level stare made her forget the words. She could only stare back, and wonder exactly what secrets he was hiding.

Kate and Sticky looked at Reynie- surprised etched into their features. Sticky had memorized the wording, but it was still gibberish to him. What did Reynie know that he wasn't telling?

"Who are you contacting?" Sticky called out. But Reynie already had the door unlocked and was halfway down the hallway.

Kate bolted after him, and even Constance rose to follow. Her eyes were cloudy-concerned with whatever was revolving around in Reynie's head. Sticky stood stock still for a moment, still trying to understand what Reynie was planning. He shook his head and followed the others out the door.

_Déjà vu, _Reynie's rapid-fire thoughts continued to haunt him, _Isn't just remembering a place. It's the feeling that you've been in the exact same situation before. The pigeon messenger, the ransom note, the kidnapping- it all happened before. And where did it all lead us last time? The abandoned Duskwort island._

Kate had caught up to him by now, and she kept pace with Reynie as he bounded up another flight of stairs.

"God, Reynie," She demanded, "Where are you trying to go in such a hurry? You haven't even told us who you're calling!"

Reynie shook his head. Hopefully, they would never need to know the who's and why's. But he couldn't take lying to them. A riddle, he decided, was the easiest way. "It isn't a matter of finding where in the world we need to look, just where in the words we needed to look."

Kate stopped and looked at him curiously. "How do you solve a riddle, with another riddle?" she asked softly. But Reynie didn't stop, or even turn around.

"Go back to my room with the others, Kate," He called back, " I'll explain this in a minute." Kate frowned, reluctant to let Reynie go. She watched him go, and turned back down the steps. She would trust Reynie with anything.

* * *

He had arrived at the door to Mr. Benedict's bedroom. Reynie stood there calming his breath. He needed to be cool and collected if he intended to follow through with his plans. He knew where he had to go. And he would go alone. Whatever traps Curtain had lain, would only injure him. Kate, Sticky, and Constance would all be ok, and so would the adults. Or at least so he told himself. He looked from the door to his feet, and back to the door. A moment ago he had seemed so strong and determined. Now, Reynie was indecisive and anxious again. These past few years had brought out a bolder side of him, but even still… This was going rogue. Should he trust that… no, he just wouldn't think about it. _Remember the white knight_.

Reynie stepped forward. He jiggled the handle a few times and pushed. After conversing for hours with Mr. B on the subject of locks, he remembered hearing that this bedroom was never locked since the door was warped and stuck anyway.

Reynie smirked halfheartedly at his success, until his thoughts drifted back to the dilemma at hand. _Of course it was the duskwort island! It was where Curtain had lost one of his last chances to cure his narcolepsy. It was where he was duped-again- by children. It was where he lost all chances of regaining his power. It was where he and his friends had sent Curtain's world tumbling down. And now Curtain intended to return the favor._

Reynie shivered slightly to think about it. Once the cool darkness had enveloped him, he quickly headed to the nightstand. Mr. Benedict had Reyniefetch a book once, and he still remembered the general setup of the room. Heavy thoughts weighed down on Reynie as he allowed his eyes to adjust to the dark.

He grabbed the book quickly, and retreated at a doubled pace. An added worry burdened him as he jogged up to the attic. How long did they have before the adults came up? There was nothing stopping them from interrupting, no worries, nothing. How could he be sure that his mission wouldn't be stopped before it began? He turned and grabbed a backpack from the hall closet. There was really only a few options now. And once one was chosen, the others went up in a puff of smoke. He considered his options again. There was one clear choice, but…

* * *

Kate had flown down the stairs after her conversation with Reynie. She met Sticky and Constance halfway up the stairs. _What had Reynie so shaken up?_ They crashed into his bedroom door and pushed into his room.

"What is Reynie's problem?" Constance snapped. She was just as agitated, and even more so from being forced to run. Kate's eyes clouded over ever so slightly. Constance noticed.

"You don't know do you?" She thought for a moment, before a look of mild panic spread across her face, " Then why did you leave him alone!"

Suspicion was beginning to take hold of Kate too. She would trust Reynie with her life, but he had done this once before- not trusted anyone, and it had put them all in danger. Now he was keeping his plans and motives a secret? Déjà vu much?

Sticky looked back and forth between his friends, feeling utterly lost. Kate looked shocked, and somewhat embarrassed. _That's a new one for Kate, _he thought. But his musings were cut short when Constance bolted out the door. _Here we go again,_ Sticky sighed.

Kate raced up the stairs, thundering after Constance. Sticky heard a creak, not from the stairs, as he turned down the hall. The adults maybe? Now was not the time, nor the place to deal with them. Inwardly, he groaned. _What now?_There was no Kate to turn to, and Reynie was missing in action. He couldn't even use Constance's poetry as a distraction. This time, he was being forced to act. _Desperate Acts_, he mumbled. From the top of the stairs, he heard Constance let out a little yell. _Logic in action_, he decided. His hands were sweaty, and he desperately needed to polish his glasses, but now his hands had another use. He pushed a heavy oak chair under the hall door handle. This wasn't like him, this was breaking the rules. For a moment, Sticky felt a little faint. But then a smile slowly crept across his face. _Sometimes, rules HAD to be broken. Just maybe._The door rattled in front of him, and his father's voice echoed from through the door. His face paled, and on shaky legs, Sticky began to mount the long flight upstairs to the attic.

* * *

His messy brown hair cast shadows over his face. Nothing about him was neat, or orderly; rather wild, and unpredictable. Reynie looked at them blankly and averted his gaze. He couldn't stand to keep them in the dark like this. But what if he was just leading them into more danger. Maybe…

"You are NOT leaving us here while you go off adventuring on your own, Reynard Muldoon!" Constance growled, "They're our friends and family too."

Kate looked at Reynie, shock spreading across her face. Her eyes had doubled in size as they looked at him. He wouldn't even think about it, would he? Reynie refused to meet their scrutinizing gaze, his shame forcing a crimson blush into his cheeks. He put the backpack on the attic floor by his feet and shuffled a few steps away from the window. Kate had followed him out onto the roof, and called him back inside. Inwardly, he cringed, _If I can't even pass my friends, how did I expect to get past Curtain? _He thought glumly.

"Reynie?" Sticky asked softly, the hurt plain to see in his voice, "Would you?"

Reynie closed his eyes, ashamed to have even considered it. But he couldn't live with himself if he led them into more danger. The whole situation was exhausting. Curtain's name terrified him, his friends made him worry, the adults were in danger, and he was ready to curl up on the floor because the going got tough. How could he call himself a leader? Reynie cleared his voice slightly, struggling against the distraught gazes of his friends. He opened his eyes and looked each of his comrades in the eye, one by one. He wouldn't apologize, he wouldn't try to justify his actions. The only thing that he could do was keep them as safe as possible. That, and nothing more.

"The only roads that I see open are dangerous, and messy, and rough," He said. His voice came out harsh, distant, comanding. It wasn't like the Reynie that they all knew and loved. It was… cold.

"There's going to be struggling, and fights, and hopefully the pain will be minimal. I shouldn't have considered it- we are a team. But if anything were to happen to any of you…" Suddenly, that harsh exterior cracked, ever so slightly, and Kate saw truly just how scared Reynie had been- for them. Just as quickly though, Reynie recomposed himself, straightening his posture and steeling his emotions and nerves.

"That's my part to worry over," Kate said gently. As much as it pained her to think that Reynie could have, would have betrayed her, she could understand. So many times, she had rushed in headlong not because she couldn't see the danger, but rather to provide a distraction for her friends. "What's the plan?"

Reynie smiled weakly at her. Somehow, she always seemed to know what to do, what to say. He shook his head.

" If I'm right, Curtain is half a world away. I was going to call in a favor from our favorite Captain Noland. I intend to go after them. I'm not willingly going to put you guys in the line of fire, though."

"Well, Reynie," Constance objected, " That's not your call. I'm not going to sit her like a sack of potatoes, while you get to sneak around on tiptoes, They're my Family too, and I AM coming with you." She ended her rhyme with a stamp of her foot and stormed out of the door.

"Don't leave untill I've got my stuff!" She called angrily behind her.

Kate stifled a laugh before becoming as serious as she could. Half smiling, she turned to Reynie. "We're coming, whether you like it or not, Reynie. We're your friends- you can't lose us that easily."

She began to descend the stairs after Constance, but paused. Kate bounced back and leaned in close to Reynie. He could feel her breath on his neck as she got close- his throat felt tighter than usual. Her voice was concerned, yet almost teasing; a stark contrast to the typical hyper babble that stemmed from her lips.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you, ya' know. Now I realize that we've got a rogue among the runaways."

She stepped back and flashed him one of those fun, lopsided smiles that she was famous for. Without looking back, she bounded down the steps. Sticky raised an eyebrow at Reynie who flushed red. But he didn't ask.

"May I ask where exactly you intended to go?"

Reynie sighed. It would have to come out eventually, and he needed to keep busy. _Maybe Kate is beginning to wear off on me,_ He thought, _it would explain the restlessness. Or maybe just nerves._Either way, Reynie launched into his explanation and decryption of the riddle.

" Only three possible places really; Nomansan island, that abandoned Duskwort Island, or Third island prison. The last went down in flames and has yet to be touched- it would have been in the news. And Nomansan island has been taken over by the army- he probably wouldn't go back there. Only the Duskwort Island Left. It was where we sent Curtain's world tumbling down. Only fitting to try and return the favor there. Remember 'Déjà vu'?" Reynie finished.

Sticky was slapping his forehead for not seeing it sooner, when the girls entered the attic. It had been less than three minutes since Sticky had come upstairs, and only about a minute since the girls had left. Constance was still trying to stuff a sweater into her pack.

"Ready?" Kate asked. Her bucket clanged on her thigh as she bounced on the balls of her feet. Constance stood beside her, looking short, agitated, tired, but mostly nervous.

"Well, why haven't you made your calls yet?" She asked irritably.

Reynie sighed. "When have I had access to a phone in the past five minutes?"

Before Constance could answer, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs, accompanied by Mr. Washington's angry booming voice. All four stopped in their tracks like deer in the high-beams of a truck.

"The window!" Kate whispered furiously. The society began the mad dash with a single leap, out of the window, and onto the slate roofing below.


	4. Perfect Trouble, Perfect Timing

_Author's Note: I am really sorry that I haven't updated in so long! Everything has been kind of up in the air. But, BACK TO THE STORY! Let the adventures begin again…_

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Mysterious Benedict Society- ANY OF IT!_

Kate clutched the edge of the roof and peered out into the night. Her breath spiraled out like a puff of smoke into the sky as a slight chill tingled down her spine. It was nights like this that made her feel positively alive! _I wish I could share this with Milligan, _She mused to herself. The mistake was made though, and Kate was helpless as a bout of heartache seized her. She heard her breath come out in a sharp whistle as she tried to force the self-pity out of her system. Kate glared backwards at her friends. She was trying to concentrate her energy into stealth mode, and they were being very distracting.

Sticky was quivering in a cold sweat and his teeth sounded like static in the back of her mind. Kate had realized long ago that none of her comrades would be quite as quick as she was in these situations, but she had hoped that perhaps they could get a little faster. Judging by their heavy breath, Kate was sure that they were all just as nervous as they had been when they'd first met. She could also tell that her idea of a silent, graceful escape was not to be. This group was about as nimble as a brick wall, and loud enough to overpower a jet during takeoff! _Well, maybe they_ _aren't that noisy, _Kate thought,_ but they sure are clumsy! _

Sticky had landed face first on the roofing when they had leapt out of the window, and had knocked about a dozen tiles loose. Constance had tripped and landed on top of Sticky, mumbling something about how "the roof is even less comfortable to land on than a horse's hoof." Other than herself, Kate considered Reynie to be the only one capable of escaping without letting the whole house know. He had stumbled a bit following Constance, but had managed to land on his feet somewhat softly. Reynie grimaced in Kate's direction as they heard shouts erupt from the attic. They only had a few moments before Mr. Washington would climb out the window searching for them. And then… No one truly wanted to consider that ending to their adventure.

Reynie glanced up warily at the window, preparing to leap the twenty feet off of the roof if necessary. Kate shook her head gently- she would be able to manage it, but Reynie? No way. At least not without breaking a few bones that is.

_Pop!_ The lid to Kate's trusty Bucket-of-tricks flipped off easily, exposing the neatly organized compartments within. As Sticky struggled to sit up without losing his balance, it seemed to him that Kate's hands were blurs of movement. He readjusted his spectacles and breathed in the frigid air, trying frantically to make some sense of the situation. Everything swirled around in his mind as he attempted to compartmentalize each item. After a few moments, when it seemed like he had a firmer grasp on reality, Kate gently shook Sticky's arm. The last thing she wanted to do was to draw attention to their escape, but she had startled Sticky.

"Whoa!" Sticky yelped as he lost his balance. His feet skidded across the slate as he slid closer to the roof's edge. Sticky made a wild grab at his glasses, then at the roof, and he managed to latch onto… something.

* * *

Reynie glared at the window, as though he could make it locked and barred so no one could follow the society onto the roof. He fought back the urge to slide off the edge and into the thicket below. Only a moment before, Kate had shot him a disapproving glance, warning Reynie not to take that route. Grudgingly, he had nodded back. Reynie knew that Kate could manage the situation, and could judge what was an intelligent move… and what was not. Reynie glanced around at his friends, checking that each was still clinging to the roof. Silently, Reynie was furious at his friends. They could have let him take this one! Reynie's friends always had his back- the least he could do was to look out for them, just this once. He looked around once more, letting the danger of the window slip from mind. As frustrated as Reynie was, it was practically impossible to stay mad at Kate, Constance and Sticky for very long. He turned his slightly eased frustrations back to glaring at the window. He didn't glare for long.

A yelp shattered Reynie's concentration, accompanied by a panic stricken slap on the back of his right calf. An iron grip latched onto Reynie's ankle, dragging his legs out from beneath him. Reynie gasped. Slate shingles scratched at his face as he struggled to slow his descent. The edge of the roof seemed suddenly very close, and Reynie was still slip sliding haphazardly down the slant. The grip around Reynie's ankle was desperate and sweaty and Reynie was forced to restrain himself from kicking off the squirming owner of the hands. There was no way to get to Kate or Constance- it had all happened too quickly. Kate had reacted equally quickly, but she was still just out of Reynie's grasp. The edge seemed like a razor blade as it grated across Reynie's knees. To his left, Reynie noticed a random dash of color against the grey night- Kate's rope! The neon cord was fastened tight around the rigid old weather vane, and it was only a few inches away from Reynie's hand- if he could reach for it…

* * *

Sticky stopped short, jerking toward the roof as his handhold climbed back onto the roof. From pure surprise, Sticky nearly let go of the "something" he had determined to be Reynie's ankle. Only fear kept his grip locked. Silently, Sticky blessed the darkness, for it hid the shade of crimson that his face had turned. He hadn't meant to fall! Or to drag Reynie with him for that matter! If he had cost the society this mission, Sticky wouldn't ever forgive himself. A shadow flashed next to him as the roof ledge scraped over his chin and stomach. A pair of strong hands gripped Sticky's arm, heaving him totally onto the slate. Sticky could barely make out Kate's anxious whisper.

"Hurry, hurry!"

Reynie glanced upwards to the window and watched wide eyed as the shutters were flung open. Gulp, breathe, focus- Reynie ignored the new danger and focused on getting the society out of this new dilemma. Kate had tied two cables to reach the earth, and with both help and luck, Reynie had managed to use the first cord to pull Sticky and himself upwards. He glanced at the window again and felt a cold sweat break out on his back. Mr. Washington was leaning out the window.

Sticky was still slightly dazed when Kate whistled under her breath. A sharp falcon cry shattered Mr. Washington's concentration, as well as Reynie's. He couldn't help but smile, _Even if she might not be my first pick for a rescuer, Madge is still awesome. _Kate slapped Reynie's arm as she wrapped the nylon around her fist. Kate might not have been telepathic, but Reynie recognized that look anywhere. Madge had provided the distraction they had needed. They had about three seconds to get out of that situation.

Reynie swore he saw the whites of Constance's eyes as Kate wrapped an arm around the squirming eight year old. A squeak escaped the panicked girl's lips as she had tried to yelp, "HELP!" In a matter of a second, Kate had clipped her belt onto the rope and assumed the position of a professional rock climber getting ready to repel down Mount Everest. One quick hand lashed Constance to Kate, as the other saluted Reynie. He gasped slightly as his friends plummeted to the earth below. Kate was in charge though, and Reynie should have known better than to worry. They touched down in the rose garden without any hitches or interferences. Now, it was the boys' turn.

Sticky was only too well aware of his father's presence as the booming voice rung out across the wide sky. He wanted to do something, distract his father perhaps and provide Reynie an opportunity to escape, but he was paralyzed with fear. All of the years of dealing with evil geniuses and warped twins, henchmen and the like seemed far less formidable than an angry patriarch! Vaguely he felt something wrap tightly around him- too tight to be comfortable really. A rough voice whispered in his ear, "Meet you at the Monk Building. Tell Kate. Good Luck!"

Then Reynie's whisper was lost, replaced by a rushing wind against his face. Blindly, Sticky clutched at his spectacles again. A jolt shuddered though his body, making Sticky nauseous as the ride came to a shuddering halt. Wide-awake now, Sticky felt Kate tug him free of the ropes, and whisper something in his ear. Her voice was barely audible, and completely muted beneath the pounding of Sticky's heart in his ears. Whatever question Kate had asked was lost to the night wind. Sticky glanced back at the roof.

He could hear his father screaming something. Reynie stood poised to jump. Kate yelled something next to him. All Sticky could hear though, was Connie-Girl's nervous, exasperated complaint echoing inside his head. "Nice going George Washington."

* * *

Kate spun around violently and hurtled towards the ropes. She could hear Mr. Washington screaming at Reynie, demanding an explanation that Reynie wasn't prepared to give. Kate had watched Reynie and Sticky apprehensively as they struggled to get back on the roof. And when Sticky came down alone… Reynie might be intelligent, and he might underestimate himself sometimes, but now was not the time to experiment! Kate wrapped the rope around her fist and launched herself at the wall, forcing herself to scale the weather beaten sides. Quickly she glanced at Sticky and Constance, and then back to the roof.

"Mr. Washington, please! Go back inside!"

"Reynard Muldoon! You will come here right now! Get away from that ledge – you might hurt yourself! And where are the others?"

The panic that had stricken her when she heard the desperation in Reynie's eased slightly, as Kate realized that Mr. Washington only knew about Reynie on the roof. Then again, her appearance might spoil this advantage. Much to Kate's dismay, her logic drew her to a halt, swaying in mid air. Kate scowled slightly. Reynie and Sticky were beginning to wear off on her about this "logic stuff".

"Mr. Washington! Watch out!"

Kate sprang to action, fearing the worst when she heard these words accompanied by a "thud". The nylon was burning into her fingers and palms, but she didn't care. If Reynie needed her…

Phwoomp! A heavy mass slammed into Kate, nearly knocking her off of the rope. If it hadn't been for her vise-like grip, surely she would have tumbled down into the garden below. Her assailant clasped onto the cable as well, clinging for dear life. His back was turned, and in the shadows under the eaves, Kate could make out a toned- though not really muscular- body. His hair was short and smelled of sweat and… something familiar. With one hand she lashed out, seeking to smash her free fist into his pressure point. If one of Curtain's goons had hurt her friends and was planning on using HER rope as an escape- he had another thing coming! Kate pulled her punch at the last second, stopping within an inch of his neck when she heard his voice. Reynie tried to turn around to face her, but discovered that there wasn't enough space on the nylon to hold on and turn about.  
"You first, down." He whispered hoarsely. Above then, the duo could hear frantic footsteps, and Mr. Washington's ferocious, " REYNARD MULDOON!" Kate nodded slightly, and began a quick descent.

" I told Sticky that I'd meet you all at the Monk Building! Why didn't you guys get a head start?" Reynie demanded as the duo touched down on solid ground. Far above, Mr. Washington could be seen scrambling back through the window, howling with rage at being disobeyed, and sweating with concern for the children. Reynie unclipped his belt sprinted after Kate.

"That must be where they headed, Reynie," Kate called over her shoulder, nodding in the direction of the swinging gate that someone had hastily passed through and forgotten to shut. Reynie put on an extra burst of speed to catch up with Kate. His adrenaline rush from the rooftop was beginning to wear off as his breath was forced out in ragged gasps. Kate flew across the sidewalk, only skimming the surface like a seagull on the water's edge.

Right or left? Which way was faster to reach the Monk Building? Kate swore under her breath, why did Mr. Benedict have to sell the office? More importantly, why on earth did Milligan board up the passageway? You never know when an escape tunnel would come in handy! Like right now for instance. Reynie was a few steps behind her as he blindly dragged himself down the street. Right, she decided, it would be faster to cut across the harbor than to race through town. With an added burst of energy, Kate set off down the lane, dashing through the shadows and keeping to the darker patches. She felt comfortable, so long as She could hear Reynie's thumping footfalls behind her. Well, Kate almost felt comfortable.

She couldn't help herself from feeling… unnerved, confused, anxious… maybe just plain hurt, since Reynie had tried to leave without them. Did he think they were delicate little flowers? Did he have something to hide? Was he angry with them? Questions swirled like the eye of a hurricane, rampaging through her mind. Kate desperately wanted to trust Reynie, to let him take the lead, to fall back on him when she felt that deep sorrow overcome her again. Reynie was always there for her- always. Until now. She knew that he struggled with this… lack of trust, this fear of opening up for longer than she had been friends with him. Kate couldn't even really blame Reynie. She understood how it felt to think you were abandoned, how it felt to be totally self-reliant, to not want to trust. But it was simply Kate's nature to open up, to be funny, and free, and friendly. Reynie… he manifested these doubts in a darker side. Could she stay angry with him for that?

Kate shook her head, trying to shrug off these nagging doubts. She wanted to trust Reynie, but part of her just couldn't. _Not after he was about to abandon me_. But Kate was Kate- the totally self-reliant, adventurer, falconer, secret agent extraordinaire, the great Kate the Weather Machine! She would pull through this just fine. _But it's Reynie that I worry about…_

A few feet behind her, Reynie trudged on. His feet felt like lead, weighing him down more and more every minute. Without meaning to, he furrowed his brow in thought. _Kate hasn't said a word since the yard…_ he pondered. In his daze, he tripped over an ancient tree root that poked through the cement. A second more, and Reynie would have cracked his head on the unfeeling cement, ending the mission then and there. Only a last second hop for balance saved Reynie from humiliation and shame. He ground his teeth together. _If she's mad at me, let her be! I'm not about to make an idiot out of myself just because I'm nervous that I might have upset her earlier! What kind of rescuer am I? _Fresh determination washed over Reynie, drowning his doubts and rinsing away his aches. _A rescuer that will succeed._

* * *

" Come on, George Washington! You think your idea is so cool? You're just gonna make yourself look like a fool! When it comes to hopping a fence you're slow as a mule! If this is a joke, it's pretty creul. Fool, mule, creul, what else rhymes with cool, Human-Encyclopedia?"

Sticky was only vaguely aware of Constance's nervous chatter as she trotted along side him. It was harder for her to keep up with his pace, but by anyone's standards it was an easy jog when compared to galloping after Kate. Anxiety prowled around the depths of Sticky's mind- fear for himself and Constance, fear for the friends he'd left behind, fear for what might come ahead, fear for what might…. His thoughts were so rudely interrupted by a low hanging branch and a chorus of snickering taunts from his young partner in crime. _I HAVE to watch out for those branches!_ Sticky reprimanded himself.

Connie-girl had been loath to leave Kate and Reynie alone on the roof, and even now she was hesitant to go too far ahead of their comrades. _But Reynie had said "meet you at the Monk Building." _As sure as Constance's apprehension, Sticky remembered Reynie's words. Part of him wasn't entirely sure if he should follow through on these orders. _I mean, a moment ago he attempted to depart without us…_

Sticky shook his head rigorously. If he succumbed to these doubts he would soon find himself cowering. _Remember what Mr. Benedict said!_ No, he wouldn't cower. He would hop this fence, and the next one too. He would meet his friends at the Monk Building. He would save Mr. B, and all of his friends. He would pull through this, and so would Constance. That is…if he could just get over this next fence!

" Constance, do you need a lift?" Sticky glanced at his accomplice. She had done better than he had when they had to jump the first fence as they cut across neighbor's lawns. Even still, this fence was much taller, and Constance… well, she still was much smaller in stature. The pouting face snorted indignantly.

"I will be perfectly FINE climbing this fence. If I have to explain this, then you are obviously TOO DENSE!" Constance growled as she flung herself at the wooden hurdle.

_Who does he think he is? I'm doing perfectly fine on my own!_ Irritated at being treated like a child, Constance set about scrambling over top of the wall like she had practiced chasing after Kate so many, many times before. Sometimes, it was ok to be treated like a younger sibling. After all, the youngest sibling always gets the most CANDY! _Then again, when there was trouble, everyone expects me to be helpless…_ When the going got tough, helpless was the last thing on Miss Contraire's mind. Rather, she wanted to be in the thick of it, a battle of insults to the very last. _And with the stakes so high…_ Constance pushed the thoughts away. Luckily, with the intense situation, it was not difficult to divert her attentions. Mentally, Connie-girl shivered t think what she might do if she stopped to consider the reality of the stakes. Amid candy mountains and comical characters, behind the façade of indignant juvenility and the obnoxious rhymes, there was something quite serious- hidden, always. It was a dark place, and it was a place that Constance would rather NOT visit again. _Last time…_ _NO! CLIMB!_ She shuddered and vaulted over the top and onto the next lawn. The impact of the ground meeting with her stocky legs sent shockwaves rippling through her body, jarring her teeth and definitely not improving her new headache. Still, she stuck a perfect ten landing and had to smirk grimly to herself. _Now where was Sticky?_

Behind Constance she heard a startled yelp, a THUD, and she was sent sprawling by a heavy mass collapsing on the back of her legs. A panicked yell had barely escaped her lips before she was sent flying face first into a muddy slip-and-slide. Sticky scrambled around on all fours desperately seeking his lost glasses. He squinted in Constance's direction.

"Sorry." He managed to mumble sheepishly. Constance scowled back at Sticky, preparing a whole new barrage of insulting rhymes. _This is going to be a long night,_ Sticky mused.

* * *

Kate paced restlessly, more like a tigress on the hunt than a teenage girl with a mission. Reynie checked the building clock once more before returning his head to rest hopelessly in his arms. He had collapsed on the front steps nearly half an hour ago when Kate came bounding up the path. His determination and vigor had long since abandoned him, leaving an empty shell of the reckless leader that set out on this mission. Kate leapt up the steps to face him again.

"You are 1000% positive that you told Sticky that you would meet him at the MONK BUILDING? 'Cause if you accidentally said monkey building or something, I might just flip out!"

Reynie had been through an identical interrogation not even five minutes before, and for the millionth time he had no answer that could satisfy Kate's anxiety. He wasn't sure if she trusted him or not, and he had absolutely no clue where Sticky and Constance were. Had they been kidnapped? Intercepted by their parents? Fallen in a pit somewhere where they were trapped? Had Mr. Curtain lain in wait as they made their exit? _Well, this mission is going just great!_

It had been a good long while since the Society was forced to always be on their guard, and yet Kate and Reynie fell directly back into the edgy lifestyle. _Like riding a bike…_ Reynie mused to himself as Kate continued to storm up and down the sidewalk. If they stayed here too much longer, the adults might find them. On the other hand, if they left… Constance and Sticky might never find them. The thought nearly made Reynie nauseous with worry. _Why the hell did I suggest we split up! That has to be the stupidest scheme I have EVER even considered!_ Reynie glanced back to Kate.

Her proud posture was half slumped, defeated with worry. Reynie wanted to slap himself, how could he be so self-centered? Kate's dad was on the line here! And nearly all of her best friends were suddenly missing! And he had managed to crack Kate's unfaltering trust. What kind of a friend was he? Part of Reynie wanted to slink away to the shadows, to hide like the idiotic, arrogant, coward he felt like. And yet… _remember the white knight._ Perhaps it wasn't quite time for Reynie to throw in the towel just yet. Kate watched Reynie as he slowly, determinedly rose to his feet and padded over lightly to her. For less than a second, Kate actually hesitated. Could she trust Reynie, after he had just tried to leave them?

Lately he'd been becoming more distant- "caught up in his studies", or so he said. He was still one of her best friends though. So… So many emotions swirled around in her head, her head was swimming. Fear, frustration, mild panic, excitement, nervousness, curiosity, pain, and the sudden adrenaline rush certainly didn't help calm Kate's hyperactive ranting. The faces of her friends and family passed before her eyes- the pleasant happiness of the memories replaced by the terrified masks of pain Kate was sure they would be wearing.

A wave of helplessness washed over Kate again. _How could I let this happen?_ Kate nearly screamed. For an agonizing moment, Kate was back in the house, her arms wrapped around Milligan, murmuring wishes of good luck to her father. Kate choked back a sob. She could have stopped him, made them stay for dinner, help clean up Constance, play a game- anything! Kate had looked the opportunity to stop them in the eye, and she had walked away. Regret, self-loathing, despair- the emotions settled in the pit of her stomach. Where were her friends now? Were they lost because of her? Kate started pacing again, the quick movement helping her to clear her mind. _No,_ she thought_, I can fix this. I am Kate the great. We've been though stuff like this before. Milligan will pull through, and I will be there to greet him._

Kate straightened her posture, squaring her shoulders against the dangers that lay ahead of her. The seed of despair erupted into a rush of hope and energy. Reynie squeezed Kate's shoulder lightly, reminding her that she was not alone. Kate nodded to him appreciatively. She had made up her mind- Reynie could be trusted. She had also made up her mind that she wasn't going to let Reynie convince her to stay put any longer. Kate was on a rescue mission- find her friends, and then get her family back. She should have started this ten minutes ago. Kate made a mental note to ignore any logic Reynie or Sticky tried to use to slow her down.

"Come on Reynie," Kate whirled around to face him, "Which direction do you think Sticky and Constance took?"

The corners of Reynie's lips twitched upwards. Kate had forgiven him. _Maybe it's time I forgive myself too._ Reynie met Kate's level stare. Curtain had thrown down the gauntlet. Now it was Reynie's turn to throw the challenge back in Curtain's face. First, though, they needed to find Sticky and Constance. He looked in both directions. One path led back the way that he and Kate had run- a short series of streets leading along the harbor. The other direction would have taken a much longer route. Running through the town before turning towards the Monk Building, it would have been a much better choice to throw off any trails. _Considering Sticky's slight paranoia, he probably would have insisted on the road,_ Reynie mused, _then again… Constance probably would have put up a fight to leave. She would have made his life hell the whole way. A short cut maybe? _

Reynie's thoughts were cut short by an insistent hiss from Kate.

"Get down!" Kate demanded as She dove for cover behind a set of garbage cans. In less than two seconds, Kate was invisible to the untrained eye. Reynie tried to dive for cover also. Holding his scraped knee against his chest, Reynie pushed himself further into the shadows. The blinding headlights of a car turned the corner towards the Monk Building. The brilliant lights sliced through the midnight darkness. Aside from the streetlamps, the only other light came from the car. Reynie sucked in a deep breath, fearful to release it in case the slight movement should attract the driver's attention.

In the corner of his eye, Reynie saw Kate slowly twist her body, inching forward ever so slightly to get a better view. Her arm was curled beneath her; her leg twisting a little more than was truly comfortable. In the circus, one of Kate's good friends had been able to contort his body so as to fit in a suitcase. Kate grimaced now as she twisted underneath the cans again. She was very flexible- far more than any one in Stonetown Harbor, and yet she would always still be amazed by her friend's litheness. She pushed one last inch- she wouldn't push her luck after that.

The car was small, fast and nondescript. It was exactly the sort of car that Kate would have chosen if she was trying not to be noticed… and/or caught. The thought only served to make Kate more anxious. In the corner of her eye, Kate noticed Reynie watching her. He wore an expression of absolute panic. Didn't he trust that she wouldn't get them caught? She turned her attention back to the more important car and her eyes widened involuntarily. The car had stopped. Someone was getting out.

"You led me off in such suspense! You quickly put up your defense, and wouldn't let me put in my two cents! Have you got no good sense? Can't you see I'm really tense? Suppose they aren't 'just past this fence'? Then you ran away on false pretense! For that, I take offence! And my next line will be more intense! I…"

"Honestly Constance! We're almost there! I swear, Reynie said the Monk Building. Please just give me a moment."

Reynie flinched in his hiding place. The bleeding had stopped in his leg, but he could still hear the blood rushing in his ears- that was mostly from adrenaline though. The car had stopped only a moment ago now. The man who had stepped out could be armed, and was most likely dangerous. _Perfect Timing_, Reynie thought, _now they decide to show up._


	5. Flames and Familiar Names

_Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry it's taken me so long to update! Back to the story! Thank you for the reviews/ favorites! It keeps me coming back!_

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own MBS._

* * *

The silhouette of the strange man remained highlighted boldly in the headlights of his car. He turned his head slowly in the direction of Constance's voice, simultaneously reaching inside the car. Kate's heart hammered in her ears. Who ever the stranger was, he was being extremely careful to not reveal his identity just yet. The thought did not sit easy with Kate.

She strained to peer around the garbage can a little more, striving to see just what the man was doing. She glanced back towards the offices briefly when the man froze. Constance was stumbling out of an alley, followed closely by a disgruntled looking Sticky. Kate weighed her options. On one hand, Constance and Sticky were in serious danger, and didn't even realize it. On the other hand, when she moved, it would destroy any chance Reynie and she had at a surprise attack. She would have to time it perfectly.

Constance, red-faced and scowling spun on her heel to face Sticky. Her legs were sore, her head was killing her, and Sticky was still spouting useless facts to calm himself. And there was only so much useless information Constance Contraire could listen to before someone was going to regret opening his or her mouth. Sticky opened his mouth again, stammering something as he lifted his leg over the discarded cardboard box in front of him.

" Here's a neat fact, Constance: if you ever happen to be somewhere and the temperature reaches –90 degrees, your breath will freeze in mid air, and fall to the ground! Did you know that…"

"First of all, George Washington," Constance spat, " If I ever happen to be somewhere that's 90 degrees below zero- which I never will be- I will freeze in mid air! Forget my breath! And secondly, They're not here."

Sticky froze. Throughout the entire climb to get to the Monk Building, Sticky had panicked. What if Kate and Reynie hadn't made it there yet? What if his Dad had caught them? Worse, What if Curtain had set this up to… Sticky's head began to pound. He stammered an apology at Constance and staggered forward blindly, out of the alley.

Constance made a mental note that Sticky looked rather crest-fallen. She considered that an obnoxious rhyme might bring him back to his annoyingly logical senses. Her head throbbed. Perhaps she would make up a poem about how much her head hurt instead. As she considered this and decided she rather like the idea, Constance glared out into the plaza where her friends apparently didn't care enough to show up.

The first thing that struck Constance as odd was the apparent lack of Kate and or Reynie. It was pretty uncharacteristic of Kate to be late for anything, after all. The second thing was the blinding yellow light. She squinted furiously, mumbling under her breath. Her head throbbed again. _Is this what a migraine is like? _Constance mused, considering her headache and her inability to focus the bright light.

"Since when was this place so bright?" She grumbled. Rather suddenly, as if in answer to her question, her headache morphed into a familiar tone. Kate's voice began shouting in her head.

"GO! RUN! Car headlights! DANGER!"

Kate knew that Constance had much improved her abilities, with Mr. Benedict's help, but she wasn't even sure Connie-girl was listening. Anything was worth a shot though. Mentally, Kate began screaming her head off. She was willing to try anything to attract Constance's attention and to get her and Sticky out of the situation. It was a long shot though...

Constance, half-blinded by the headlights, whirled around to where she supposed Kate had been hiding. Next to her, Sticky looked dejected and defeated.

"But, Reynie said…" he whispered softly. Constance made a wild grab at his hand and took off, half-dragging him back into the shadows. Suddenly, the headlights went out, launching the entire street into impenetrable darkness.

Reynie's eyes struggled to readjust to the night. He could make out a vague shadow vaulting over top of something. There was another figure, near where he figured the car would be. There was a flicker of light from the figure near him and the scent of sulfur reached his nostrils a moment later.

Something, a black pinprick in the sky, hurtled out of the first figure's hand. Something Shattered on the pavement. Reynie's eardrums popped as the item exploded like a potato in a microwave oven. Flames leapt up, from seemingly nowhere. The whole scene seemed to move in slow motion, to Reynie.

Tongues of fire consumed everything nearby. Heat rolled off the pavement, and the sky lit up with red and orange hues. A man with brown curly hair threw up an arm to defend his face from the sparks. Despite the August heat, his one hand had a blue striped, fingerless glove, and a tawny overcoat draped down his figure. Reynie squinted.

The man was laying on his side, his legs curled up beneath him. For a moment, a wave of pity swept over Reynie. The man truly didn't look like a ten man. He looked rather like a husband coming home from work. Most of all, though, the man looked like he was in pain.

Reynie staggered to his feet, putting up an arm to fend off the oppressive heat and light. He still couldn't hear quite right, and his vision was still fuzzy as he forced his legs to walk. Every nerve in his body screamed for him to flee, and yet, some part of Reynie felt compelled to lend the curly-haired man his aid. He swaggered another step towards the inferno that had previously been the man's car.

Reynie barely registered the feeling as a strong hand grasped his arm, pulling him in the opposite direction of the man. He made a futile attempt to call out to the man. The words choked Reynie's dry throat as he inhaled a cloud of black smoke. He gasped for air as he was dragged backwards toward the shadows once more. Watery eyed from the smoke, Reynie staggered blindly after his companion.

"Kate?" He coughed after a moment, hoping he had guessed correctly, " What the hell happened?"

Kate half whispered, half hissed at him as she ran, " The car caught fire. The fire department will be here soon. We need to go now! I'm trying to follow Sticky and Connie-Girl."

"How did the car catch fire?"

"Must you ask so many questions?" Kate sighed, obviously frustrated. It was bad enough having events turn out this way so far. Now he wanted an explanation? Kate shook her head as she pulled him into the shadows.

Reynie had though for a moment before Kate had allowed him a break in the shadow of the stairs.

"Yes. I must. So again I ask- what the hell happened?"

Kate sighed, looking away. In the distance, she could almost make out the sound of approaching sirens. It was time to be moving again. The only problem was, where were they going now? They hadn't really had a plan except to start moving and to find their friends. They had all panicked. No one had any sort of plan. And then the man had shown up, and all hell had broken loose. Reynie put his hand on her shoulder, reminding her gently that he still wanted an explanation.

"I…Never mind. Stay."

Kate never left anyone injured. Even if the person was an enemy, she had never yet left anyone for dead- and she wasn't about to start now. She had gotten her friends into some sort of a protected position. Before they left, for wherever, she intended to pull the man to safety. Once she was sure he would be ok, they would take off. Kate crouched low to the ground and took off at a run towards the fire. As she got near, the flames stung her eyes, making them water. She paused for a moment, figuring out the easiest, safest path to take.

In the glow of the firelight, the figure of the man crawled out of the wreckage. He stood up, brushed himself off, and looked around. Kate felt her throat go dry, and staggered back a step. How could anyone walk out of that situation and be totally calm? He was tall, lean, and well shaven. His curly mop of hair was singed slightly, and he'd discarded the burnt overcoat, but he was rather obviously the same man from the car. The blue striped gloves didn't really seem to fit with the army tactical uniform he was wearing, but that was the least of Kate's worries. He scanned the darkness again, as though looking for something or someone. Kate tried to shrink back into the shadows, but it was too late. He made eye contact.

"Kate? Is that you?" The man's voice was gruff, and vaguely familiar. Kate shuddered. How did he know her name? She pivoted, preparing to launch herself down the plaza and away from the stranger. For all she knew, he was one of Curtain's goons, or someone worse.

"Kate?" He asked again. The man took a step forward, holding his hands up to show he didn't have any weapons. "Kate, Milligan sent me… he asked me to watch you and your friends while he took care of some business for Mr. Benedict."

Kate paused. Across the plaza she could see Reynie. His eyes were wide as he watched the man take another step towards Kate. Sticky had crouched next to Reynie, and both boys were kneeling, ready to rush at the man if he tried to move too quickly. Constance was scowling at all of them, complaining about something or other- Kate couldn't quite make out what. She smiled to herself briefly, her friends really were trying to look out for her. She shook her head at them- she would handle this.

The man's words replayed in her head, and she felt her blood run cold. Of course Milligan would leave a friend to watch them. How much did this friend know though? Was he really a friend, or was he bluffing? And if he was a friend, and she had just tried to blow up his car… Kate didn't particularly want to finish that last question.

"Kate, my name is Chester. I swear, I really am a friend of your dad's. You and I have talked on the phone before, remember?"

Kate almost laughed. That would be why he seemed so familiar. She turned around to face Chester, recalling Milligan's stories of how this man had saved his life on more than one occasion. Chester grinned haphazardly as Kate stammered an apology and waved over her friends. Reynie and Sticky rushed forward, confusion written plainly on both of their faces. Constance hung back, eyeing Chester warily. He greeted them each kindly, as Kate made formal introductions. Constance, however, stubbornly refused to come within five feet of the man. Chester shrugged.

"I give you kudos, Kate, fast work back there. Milligan would have been proud. Just make sure you know who your enemies really are…"

Sticky laughed nervously. He felt so out of place. First, he's being told to rush one place. Then he's told that he was wrong. Now, apparently, he was right! But their enemy wasn't really the enemy? Everything was upside down. And he could go ask Mr. Benedict this time. He turned to Reynie to try and clarify what had happened. Reynie paced back and forth, watching Constance carefully. He didn't seem to hear Sticky's question. Before he could repeat it though, Kate interrupted Chester's reunion.

"We can catch up on what every one knows later. Right now, we need to go!" Kate glanced quickly down the street and broke off sprinting down the plaza. Reynie followed her gaze. At the end of the street, the flashing lights of the emergency responders began to appear around the corner. Silently, he cursed under his breath. They'd gotten here faster than usual. They didn't have nearly enough time to work out a battle plan.  
Chester smiled grimly.  
"Guess we're just gonna have to wing this one, huh Reynie?"  
"Do you have a plan?"  
"Define plan."

Sticky watched the two go back and forth, both debating what would be the most intelligent plan- should they wait, run, or even hide?

"The rest of you can wait here all day,  
And you may never figure out a better way,  
As for me,  
The way I see,  
I'm going to follow Kate,  
Over that fence and through that gate!"

With one last demanding glare, Constance took off jogging in the direction Kate had left in. Kate was still waiting at the end of the plaza, waving for her friends to hurry up.

Sticky didn't need any more convincing. He ran to catch up with Constance. As far as he could figure, everything was still messed up, but they could figure that out later. And preferably later, they would not be in the back of a police car.

Reynie took a long look down the road, and looked back at Chester. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Kate seemed to trust him. But Constance seemed like she would rather die than trust him. Reynie wasn't sure how to feel about him. Chester hadn't given them any reason to mistrust him. And he hadn't given any reason to trust him…

He shook his head violently. He'd figure it all out later, when he wasn't inhaling smoke with every other breath. Maybe running would clear his head. Reynie turned his back on the wreckage of the smoldering car, and sprinted after his friends. The sound of Chester's footsteps following him echoed in Reynie's ears.


	6. Route Recalculations and Recollections

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Constance's heart hammered in her ears as she raced after Kate. She was not particularly pleased with the way things were going. Their very complicated rescue mission had progressively become more and more of a problem, and they weren't even out of Stonytown harbor yet! Kate helped her swing her right leg over the fence, giving Constance an extra boost to get over the wall. Behind her, Reynie and Sticky were scrambling to catch up.

Constance felt the need to spout a poem about her dislike of backtracking. After all, this was the same route she and Sticky had nearly killed themselves trying to maneuver through. They had nearly been caught three times, jumping in and out of neighbors' yards, and now they were about to start all over. It seemed to Constance that it would have been much simpler to just wait back by the house, if she had known they would waste so much time on a pointless run. If she had waited, though, Mr. Washington probably would have had them back in their respective bedrooms by now. Still, she was not pleased to be running in the opposite direction of their destination. The Monk building would have been so much closer to the harbor! But, she supposed the flashing lights of the emergency responders were a good enough reason to run away.

Words flashed through her young mind, as she sought a proper rhyming word to match "stupid". After all, how could one better describe their current predicament? They had made a "stupid" mistake, they were running in a "stupid" circle, and the "stupid" adults were interfering at every turn. The next fence loomed close; reminding Constance why she hated obstacle courses- they were "stupid".

Not far behind Constance, Reynie was jogging to keep up. He could have been over the fences much quicker than Constance, but he disliked the idea of Chester bringing up the rear. Personally, he had no real problem with Chester. True, Reynie wasn't particularly comfortable with the idea of a stranger, claiming to be Milligan's friend, simply being taken along on their adventure. But Chester was amicable enough, hadn't tried to stop or really injure his friends, and he was even trying to help their rescue mission. And, truth be told, Reynie felt was mildly ashamed that he and his friends had almost tried to kill Chester. After all, if Kate had confirmed that Chester was a friend of Milligan, then wasn't Chester a good guy? Still there was something about Constance's reaction that made Reynie wary. The exertion of climbing seemed to have taken her attention away from Chester, but Reynie still caught her glancing back every once in a while. It wasn't a glance to check if Sticky and he were keeping up. It was a glance to keep an eye on Chester. Despite the lack of evidence suggesting that Chester warranted being watched, Reynie was determined to bring up the rear guard. It was a simple rule of thumb: If you aren't sure of your allies, don't let your guard down- don't leave your back exposed for someone to stab.

Kate vaulted over the fence after Constance, already planning their route. They would cut across this yard to get to a side street, which would lead… In her head, Kate mimicked the emotionless voice of Milligan's GPS. "Route recalculating," she smiled to herself. As she planned, and re-planned their course, her thoughts drifted back to Chester. A foggy memory, from before her circus years, came to mind. She couldn't quite recall the entire situation, but it was impossible to mistake that lopsided smile, those unsettling emerald eyes. She vaguely remembered his commenting something about keeping an eye on her. That was about as far as her memory of him went…in person at least. After Milligan returned home, and Kate's life had resumed some form of normalcy on the farm, Chester had started calling. Milligan didn't often open up about his adventures as a secret agent, but Chester had given Kate an opportunity to ask.

She swerved hard to the left, checking over her shoulder to make sure her friends were still keeping pace. At this rate, they would probably reach the harbor in roughly nine minutes. And then what? She caught a glimpse of the blue striped gloves Chester had been wearing. Apparently, unlike his overcoat, they had survived the wreckage. Despite the obvious care he seemed to have taken to remain inconspicuous and to be camouflaged, the electric blue was like a beacon- "Here I am! Look at me!" It just didn't seem to fit with everything she knew about him from Milligan's stories, and the few letters, and the one unsettling phone call... Her thoughts drifted to talking with Milligan.

"Hey Katie-Cat! So how was everything today? I heard you and Madge are getting pretty good at that routine you were practicing the other day." He smiled. It wasn't a goofy smile, or one of those tight lipped, forced smiles. It was a genuine smile- the kind that lights up his face, and reminded her why she would try so hard sometimes to make him smile.

"_Yup! Madge is amazing! How'd you know we were working on that?"_

"_Mucho," Milligan chuckled, "He wouldn't let me have any pie before dinner, but he did mention Madge and you. And, he said we received some mail?"_

_Kate smiled. She smiled because he was smiling, and because of Mucho, and because she had received new letters from Sticky. It was hard not to smile. But she also smiled because she was trying to cover up her question. There was a new letter, from someone she had never heard of before. The neat cursive addressed the letter to her father. There was no return address. The only thing that marked the envelope, as having a sender was a neat "C" etched onto the back panel. "C" for Curtain? Kate handed Milligan the bundle of letters, chattering idly about Sticky's correspondence, watching for Milligan's reaction to his own letter. At first, there was no change in his face- not even the slightest twitch of an eyebrow. As he cracked the glue, and quickly worked the panel open, a smile began to break out across his face._

"_Katie- Cat, did I ever tell you about Chester?"_

_She nodded no. Chester. Was that what "C" stood for? She mentally willed him to continue, knowing that at any moment, he might clam up, leaving her with a new name to ponder, and no actual knowledge. It was a frustrating fact of living with Milligan- you could never be sure how much he would tell you, if anything at all, about himself. She was determined though, to hear more about Chester._

"_Chester," Milligan resumed, a wistful smile playing on his lips, " was…Chester. He was one of those guys who you could never quite figure out. Absolutely brilliant, don't get me wrong. He was borderline genius! And when it came to a fight… I was just glad he was on my team!"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_When I was starting out, Chester was a few years younger than me. But he was good. I mean, really good. He got bumped up to my level. I worked a few times with him- he was probably the closest thing I had to a friend when I was doing, well you know… Saved my life even…"_

_Kate wasn't sure how to react? This other person… saved Milligan? Milligan needed to be saved?_

Looking back at the memory, Kate almost laughed. Here, again, Milligan needed saving. She had always thought of him as unrelenting, untouchable invincible- her very own Superman. But Milligan was human too. He could get caught off guard. He could get hurt. And every once in a while, Milligan needed someone to save him too.

Kate glanced back at her friends again; glad that she could count on their help in this rescue mission. She was especially glad to have Chester on their team now. She could use someone with his experience, and hopefully, connections.

She frowned slightly, trying to figure out the reasoning behind Constance's scowl. Under normal circumstances, she would blame the exertion of running, for making Constance appear so dissatisfied. But then, these were not normal circumstances. There were too many pieces on the game board right now, and all of them were in peril. The only advantage Kate and her friends would have would be surprise. And even then, Curtain might have planned for such a possibility. The thought unsettled Kate. Could they really trust anything, or anyone? A vague memory crossed her mind, from the end of her conversation with Milligan about Chester's letter.

_"It's good to hear from Chester, you know Katie-Cat? He heard we were in town. Do me a favor though, Kate, watch yourself. Ok? Keep Mucho and I in the loop, about everything. And if you ever feel… like something isn't quite right, you get out quick, and keep your guard up."_

Milligan began tightening some of the little security he had installed at the Farm. And for a while, nothing much happened with Chester. At least, not until that Phone call in town. It all seemed like so long ago. Kate's throat felt tight thinking about it all. She put on an extra bout of speed, trying to compensate for any time that split second reaction may have cost her. She spun around the last turn, stopping abruptly on the obnoxiously loud wooden dock. The Harbor. They had actually made it.

Constance staggered up next to Kate, breathing heavy and still scowling. Sticky followed closely, nearly tripping over Kate as she halted. Chester glided in nearby, silent as any hunter could hope to be. Constance shot him an accusatory look, further puzzling Kate. Reynie rested a hand heavily on her shoulder, and sighed as he looked out into the seemingly infinite expanse of water. After a moment, Sticky gave voice to the same thought that had been troubling Kate, and apparently all of them.

"Well… What now?"


End file.
